SamanthaPaigePhotography

How long is the shoot going to take? 

My Bronze, Silver and Gold Newborn Sessions usually take around 4 hours. My Mini Package can take up to 2 hours. 
This time is rarely spent continuously taking photos - it includes feeding, settling and changing.
Some sessions can last longer (for example twins or when we have a very unsettled baby). For this reason I only book one session per day.
I will never rush your shoot, so please  if possible do not plan anything else on the day, for you could be with me longer than planned.
Newborns cannot be rushed and sometimes some extra time is needed. Patience and understanding I find are key to a great newborn session. 

Sitter and cake smash sessions are 100% model dependant on the day, but if all goes well, you will be free in 1 to 1.5 hours.

Family Sessions tend to be between 45minutes to an hour - any longer and little ones tend to loose interest.

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When is the best time to book my session?

The ideal time to photograph your newborn is between 7 to 10 days of age. At this age your baby is likely to be very sleepy, as well as flexible. This allows me to safely and comfortably pose your baby in the beautiful, dreamy, sleepy poses that are so popular.
You can book a newborn session for your little one up to 9 weeks, but be mindful that we may not get the sleepy/squishy poses as it may not be safe for your baby. In some cases I would refer you to wait and have a sitter session instead.

If you can, book in your session is as soon as you know your due date. I will set a provisional 'floating' date in my diary and if needs be amend it when your little ones arrives. I know babies can arrive early or late, if this is the case, please don't worry - I leave plenty of room in my diary too accommodate.  If you book once your baby arrives, chances are I will not able to fit you in - worth an ask but please don't be too disappointed if im fully booked. 

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Do I have to choose a package before my session?

Yes. You're welcome to upgrade your package at any time, but if upgrading from a mini newborn to a bronze, silver or gold - please let me know at least 72 hours prior to your session as I will need to amend the amount due and prepare for additional items to use in your session. 

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When do I choose my pictures?

After your session I ask for a 3 week turn around to edit your images and create a gallery. I do not have a picture count maximum or minimum. It's completely down to how the session goes on the day - so no images are promised. 

Once I have edited your beautiful photos I will either invite you back to the studio to view or send you an online gallery to view your images at home. 
It is at this point you decide which images you'd like that are included in your package, if you want to purchase any additional images, & if you'd like wall art or albums. If you choose to have an online gallery, you have a week from the date the gallery is sent to select your images and let me know your choices. After a week the gallery is deleted. If you haven't chosen your images in this time, a admin fee is charged to recreate your gallery (£20).

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Do you travel for sessions?

The only session I will travel to is a family photoshoot. Newborns, Sitter & Cake Smash/Splash Sessions are all done in my studio.  I’m happy to drive within a 20 mile radius of my studio or 10 Miles from Thrapston, , for no extra charge. I'm happy to arrange a location or travel to one you want - just let me know.

This excludes weddings - for which I will travel 30miles included in your wedding package.  

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What retouching / edits do you do?

This is completely up to you, but I do the following as standard; 

For Cake Smash/Splash's &  Sitter sessions I will make your child look as flawless as adorable as they are - sharpening features, slightly smoothing skin, removing dribble / spots etc. Of course if you don't wish me to edit these I will not do so.

For Family sessions I will correct ay unnatural issues, fix any blemishes and enhance your best features.  However, I won’t make any changes to how you look. I will not photoshop hair, makeup, nails or clothing either after my shoots, so please make sure you are happy with your appearance.

For newborns I can correct any small issues your baby may have - milk rash, flakey skin, blemishes, jaundice and I tend to correct any abnormal redness or other skin tonal issues. I will not alter the appearance of your beautiful baby but if you prefer these feature be left alone please let me know. 

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My baby is so small, should I be worried for their safety?

You're a parent and it's completely natural to worry about your child's safety. 

The safety and comfort of your baby an absolute and number one priority to me.
I'm proud to say I have studied & practice safe posing techniques, and regularly refresh on new advice and information given. 

No poses are ever forced, and if your baby doesn't feel comfortable in any of them, I move on to the next.

There are numerous poses within a newborn session aswell that are made of multiple images in post production to ensure your baby is always safe.

When your little one comes for their session I treat them with the utmost care and consideration as if they were my own child. 

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How do I prepare on the morning of my newborn session?

Today's the day! Please feed your baby 2-3 hours prior to arriving at the studio, then plan on feeding little one as soon as you get inside. If you breast feed please bring whatever you want to make you feel comfortable, if you bottle feed, please bring a few extra. 

Also if possible, please try keep your baby awake, try a bath/massage, tickling toes, and (if you use one)  try not to give your baby a dummy for the few hours beforehand. This will aid in ensuring your baby is nice and sleepy - perfect for those squishy, sleepy newborn pictures! 

Although this could be the most important part of preparing your baby for an easy session, if your baby is extremely tired and needs to sleep or is very very hungry and needs a feed, then please do so - we wouldn't want an unhappy baby! 

Depending on your journey and of course your baby - they may fall asleep in the car on the way to the studio. But not to worry, they will usually wake up when they arrive and are moved.

It's during the initial undressing of your baby, that I ask you to then feed them. They will not want to be disturbed for no reason! 
After this feed, usually it's a short wait for them to fall asleep. That is when we get to work on capturing those those beautiful, dreamy newborn poses. Before you arrive I will have the first set up ready to go, it's normally when we move from one to the other or change outfits that little one may stir and need a cuddle/feed.

The temperature in my studio will be at least 26 degrees Celsius. Yes I know very warm. But this is to ensure that your (possibly naked) baby is warm, snug, sleepy but also comfortable. If you baby is at all uncomfortable we can guarantee a slightly unsettled start.

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Sessions typically last around 4 hours and sometimes longer if your baby is a light sleeper, very alert or hungry.
The easiest way to ensure a sleepy baby  and to resettle your little one is to nurse/bottle-feed on and off during the session, so bring extra bottles if you are bottle feeding. 

If you are using one, bring a dummy. They call them soothers and pacifiers for a reason. If you find on the morning of your session that your baby is unusually unsettled for a specific reason, please let me know as I may adapt to certain poses / change routine to accommodate. 

 

Before any sitter session, cake smash/splash or family session:

Make sure you child/children have  a really good nap (younger ones). We want them rested and full of energy!
Please make sure that everyone is fed and that no-one is uncomfortable. We don't want grumpy faces and if you're like me when you're hungry - you're grumpy!

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What shall I bring with me to the shoot? 

I will have a supply of water, hot drinks and small nibbles in the studio.

However, I would suggest & you're welcome to bring along some food, especially if mum is breast feeding. 

If your baby has a dummy, please bring it with you.

If you're having family photo (which I always encourage) and would refer your baby naked - I would suggest a change of clothes in case your little one decides to go to the toilet whilst you are holding them.

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For a Cake Smash/Splash I suggest you bring your childs favourite savoury snack, aswell as their favourite drink/sippy cup. Eatnig a lot of cake can be quite sweet for them and they made need a small break for a drink / savoury snack. A change of clothes for mum and dad could be advised - theres a chance your little one may want to share! If you're having a splash it is an idea to bring a spare towel for your child, although I will have one to hand. 

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We're having a newborn session, but what do we wear for the photo?

Mum & Dad- you're super important here. Without you both we wouldn't be creating these beautiful photos. 
So photographing the loving bond between you and your baby is a major part of the session.

As they encourage in the hospital, skin to skin contact creates the most beautiful natural images. 

For Dad, if you prefer not to be shirtless (and thats ok, I wouldn't ask you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable), I ask that you bring a plain, t-shirt to wear with a pair of jeans/ plain trousers. The t-shirt ensures we have some skin-skin contact without making anyone uncomfortable. 
For Mum, please just be comfortable. But if possible a loose-fitting tank top/ short sleeved top works well. If you can keep it simple and neutral if will make for a more flattering photo. Bear in mind that your hands will most likely be in some of the photos, so make sure nails etc are how you'd want them to look. 

If you and your partner want to co-ordinate thats great! I would also encourage that you do this for any siblings aswell for any family photos.
If you're having sibling only photos and want them to wear something specific please let me know and I can prepare for your children to have complimentary colours/sets to make for stunning images. 

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Do you photograph larger families?

Due to the limited space available to me at this stage, I can only safely accommodate up to 4 adults, younger children are ok, but please check numbers with me first if you're a family larger than 5. 

If you're wanting grandparents / older generations in your photos please discuss booking a separate session with me.

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I am breastfeeding. Are there any foods I should avoid to make sure my baby is more settled?

It is said that some foods are known to cause fussiness and make newborns unsettled when breastfed (again this is not everyone).
If breastfeeding and notice some fuzziness, please avoid these items 48h prior to the session if possible:

• chocolate

• spices (cinnamon, garlic, curry, chilly pepper)

• citrus fruits and their juices (oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit)

• strawberries

• pineapple

• kiwi fruit

• gassy veggies (onion, cabbage, garlic, cauliflower, broccoli, cucumber, peppers)

• fruits with laxative effects (cherries, prunes)

• excessive amount of caffeine

If you notice a quirky food that causes fussiness please let me know! I'm always up for giving advice to my next family. 

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I want my partner to attend- do you work weekends?

Like you I have a family that I want to spend time with, so for this reason I do not worry Sundays. Saturdays are kept for my outdoor family sessions & weddings, so I only photograph newborns on weekdays. Sitter and Cake Smash/Splashes are also booked on a weekday (unless booked a few months in advance). If you want family photos but cannot get siblings or partner present on the day - we can always set a 'make up' session just to get these photos. Even if that means one early evening or after school.

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Do you offer payment plans?

Yes I'm happy to offer a payment plan for your session.
Once your deposit is paid you can pay the remainder of your session in stages up to your shoot date. As long as the full balance is paid before your shoot. If you choose to pay in stages rather than 48 hours prior please inform me so I can keep your payments recorded.
If you're wanting additional items not included in your package I'm happy to offer a 2-3month payment plan. 50% is due upfront and the reminder can be split. Please note - no item or additional images are delivered until the full payment is made. Failure to make a second or third payment will result in the loss of the initial payments with no items given. 

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Do you offer wedding photography?

Yes I do! Please contact me for more information or click on the heart envelope at the bottom of my website. 

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I have print credit included in my package - how long is it valid for?

30 days from the day you receive your digital files.